September 2, 2009

The White House on Tuesday condemned the “cowardly” attack perpetrated by a suicide bomber last week against Saudi Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declared, “Prince Muhammad has been a courageous leader of Saudi Arabia’s fight against al-Qa’ida, and we are very thankful that Prince Muhammad escaped this attack with only minor injuries. The President has extended his best wishes for a full recovery to Prince Muhammad.” The incident, Gibbs continued, “underscores the continued threat posed by al-Qa’ida and the importance of strong counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and our regional partners. The President has discussed security cooperation in all of his interactions with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, as they both share a firm commitment to dismantle the al-Qa’ida organization and to prevent it from carrying out its murderous agenda.”